The House has had to adjourn sittings several times due to the lack of numbers to embark on parliamentary business in the chamber.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament following concerns of quorum raised by the Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who chaired the sitting, said that Members of Parliament must be serious with business activities in the House.

“I think that we have to take the House seriously. If you have been following the media over the weekend, they all descended on Parliament; the fact that we don’t get the members to do business and I think it is becoming unbecoming. So, honourable members, today will be the last day that we will raise this issue, so I am urging you to do more,” he said.

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The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Andrew Asiama-Amoako, was forced to adjourn proceedings of the House over absenteeism of members.

Mr Asiama-Amoako, who is also the Fomena Member of Parliament, adjourned the proceedings to allow the House to constitute a quorum to be able to reconvene.

But after hours of break, members didn’t make the numbers for the business of the day to be restarted.

The obviously frustrated Speaker said he was embarrassed, adding despite several headcounts, members didn’t form a quorum, hence the adjournment in accordance with the standing orders.

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The Speaker’s decision followed earlier calls by Minority Members of Parliament, Mahama Ayariga and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Mr Ablakwa cautioned that as representatives of the people, they must strive to do what is right and not hide under gymnastics to circumvent what is right.

Former Tamale Central Constituency, Inusah Fuseini, who some time ago raised concerns over the level of absenteeism attributed it to the way the House is managed, which he believes calls for reforms.

To Mr Fuseini, the current state of parliamentary duties enshrined in the constitution sees Parliament as a full-time job which interferes with other duties of its members at Committee levels.

Muntaka Mubarak nominated the only Independent Parliamentarian, lawyer Andrew Amoako Asiamah, for the position on January 7, 2021, and was ably-seconded by Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

He noted that the nomination was to help save time for President Nana Akufo-Addo’s swearing-in, hence the House had to reach a consensus.

“The MPs came to a consensus that we did not want to spend another three hours or more on each round of voting for the First and Second Deputy Speakers of Parliament since this would have further delayed the inauguration of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Bawumia.

“We, therefore, agreed with the New Patriotic Party side to propose the first Deputy Speaker so that we [NDC], would likewise propose the Second Deputy Speaker,” he added.

Speaking on the Probe on Joy News, Mr Mubarak said they had their own people in mind for the position but lawyer Amoako was nominated after their candidate, Alban Bagbin won the Speakership position.

“The party decided to be magnanimous with the victory because we had indicated within the caucus that if Bagbin did not win the Speakership position, Bernard Ahiafor, Akatsi South MP and Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, Bolgatanga East MP would be proposed for the Second Deputy Speaker position,” he said.

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However, he indicated the NPP continued to oppose the decision and insisted on proposing nominees for both the First and Second Deputies.

“We didn’t want it to appear like the devil and witch-hunting situation because we had gotten the Speaker who will have a lot of work to do so we needed to reach out.

“We came together and had to convince our General Secretary that the Speaker needs to carry both sides of the House. Let us allow it to go so we will nominate the Independent instead of our own person,” he explained.

Following the decision, Mr Mubarak explained that their nominees in waiting, Dr Ayine and Mr Ahiafor had to be informed about the development and they understood the leadership.

Mr Owusu, popularly known as Joe Wise, was declared the Speaker following a nomination from MP for Suame, Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu and MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu.

Lawyer Asiamah, who happens to be the only independent Parliamentarian in the House, was nominated by Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak from the NDC Caucus.

In his nomination speech, Mr Mubarak, among other things, reiterated the story of his suspension from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the subsequent declaration of his seat vacant in Parliament after contesting the December 7 election unopposed.

Further describing the action as ‘rambo styled’, he, however, noted that the good works of the legislator won him a second bid from his constituents.

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The motion was supported by the NPP’s Effutu constituency MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who also said lawyer Asamoah was capable of occupying the position given his track record and qualification.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, while acknowledging the nominee, admitted it was not easy to get an independent candidate to occupy such a high position in the House.

He further urged the leadership to make the move a way for the House going forward.

The two were duly declared after a successful swearing-in of Ghana’s 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic.